Say Anything
by Provocative and Talkative
Summary: An excellent drinking game, in which you take two if you feel like ending it all. AU.
1. Prologue

Well, after my computer problems ended and I got out of the hospital, I decided to maybe go a different route… at least for now! I'm using a different text editing programme, so I guess we'll see how that turns out in regards to being able to upload here.

Right on. Well, reviews make me write more. Typically. So if you read through, and feel like you'd enjoy seeing more… drop a quick one (or an epic tale of your own, whatever works).

I swear we'll get more into the plot as we go. I've got ideas. Keep in mind this'll get pretty M-rated later on, and we're looking at an AU here - haven't seen too many of those for the genre yet, so I decided to break the proverbial seal and jump on in.

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. The characters, etc, are all copyright to their respective creators. I'm merely borrowing for this fanfic.

Prologue: Drinking Games

_Serah. _

Her fingers gripped the short glass between them, vision blurring for more reasons than one as the hardened woman tipped it between her lips. It burnt like acid on the way down, but she was numb to it by now. Every night for the past seventeen days, she'd spent like this. Contemplating how fragile life truly was, and if that was the sort of thing she wanted to take into her own hands. End it all, nobody'd be around to care.

Not anymore.

The only thing that was stopping her, beyond the tactless lout who'd inevitably come to drag her out of the bar and off to some bed or another, was her own damn pride. Or at least, what was left of it. After that spectacle she'd made of herself by not going to her own sister's funeral… well, there wasn't much pride left.

Drink again if you feel like an idiot.

She couldn't be fooled into going to some goddamn empty casket funeral. You couldn't have told her for anything that you were worth that Serah was gone, not without a body. The irony was that she did believe it. She probably bought into it more than her sister's fiancé (ex-fiancé?).

He'd cried that day. He had. She had just stared. There was no body. It wasn't real, not without a body.

"Lightning - "

"Get off of me." A hand on her shoulder, ghosting there through a tough, leather glove. She heard the biker sigh, the hand retreating somewhere behind her, where he stood. Just like he had the past sixteen nights.

"It's getting old, Lightning," he muttered, pulling up the stool beside her. In spite of herself, the strawberry blonde cast him a sideways glance, drinking in his appearance like it was the poison in her left hand. Blonde, unruly hair he'd hastily put a black cap on top of. All his clothing ripped, dirty, too large even though his frame was rather substantial. Bright blue eyes. Nothing like her, even in the way that he looked.

Drink again if you just can't get a fucking break.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down there. Have the past, what, fifteen hangovers taught you nothing?" His hand on hers, applying a gentle, sympathetic pressure.

Drink again if your entire fucking life's turned into this pity fest.

"Lightning," he tried again, the pressure on her hand increasing slightly. "Come on. I'll take you home."

Throw your shot glass against the bar after you polish it off, and order another one if the last person in the world is your only company. Not just in the small, dank pub you've found tonight, but in life.

The young woman sneered, hastily standing up from the bar stool and grabbing her coat before a wave of dizziness hit her square in the face. He was there, hands under her arms as she collapsed, sighing as she fought back. "I told you to get off of me."

"Yeah, and you're in such a position to be making threats. I mean it, I'm taking you home. You can come peacefully, and stumble your way beside me, or you can come kicking and screaming over my shoulder. Up to you, but I am not letting you sleep in another bar."

"Fuck off, Snow."

Order another drink if the bartender's giving you that same, pitying look that they do. They being everyone who's ever known you.

The bartender refused with a shake of her head, declaring she felt Lightning had had enough. It was hard not to catch the thankful look Snow shot the woman, dragging his fiancé's sister away in spite of the struggle she put up. "I'll walk myself," was her last declaration, throwing his hands off of her in disgust and storming out into the night, coat dragging slightly on the ground beside her.

Find a new bar the next night if the current one's gotten too stuffy… rinse, lather, repeat.

God, what was her life anymore?

"Lightning!"

Why put up with this bullshit?

"Hey, wait up!"

She should've ended it.

"Lightning Farron, I swear to Eden…"

Hey, there was still plenty of time. The night was young. She was just drunk enough.

"Lightning!"

Screw it.


	2. Chapter 1

So, six reviews! :D That was an amazing turn-out, for a first chapter, I think! So, I figured, what the hey? I have the day off, might as well do something productive, being sick and all. So here's the first actual chapter, given that the last was a prologue and such. ._. Supposedly? Eh. Whatever.

You'll notice I'm being deliberately slow to get to the point. I am aware of this. I've been finding that a lot of fics in this genre seem… uh, rushed? So I wanted to try it from a different angle and have at least two chapters to build-up before making everything crystal clear.

I also employed the magic of _flashback_ in this chapter. I know, I'm a terrible human being.

This chapter was written whilst listening to Recessional by Vienna Teng, for those of you who love music and might be at all curious where I get my inspiration. I'm always happy to share music, if anybody wants to PM and chat about it. :3 Or even just comment in reviews. And without further ado…

Chapter One: Sunday Morning After

Damn it, he left the fucking curtains open.

With a groan, Lightning pushed herself upwards, sitting in bed and staring blankly around her own room. He had the common courtesy to leave her in the clothing she'd been wearing the night before after the time she'd punched him out for changing her out of her jeans. Finding a pair of shorts, she hastily performed such a change right then, trying her damnedest to avoid looking at her own reflection every time she passed her vanity mirror. If she didn't look at herself, it wasn't half as pathetic.

Raking a hand through an absolute mess of strawberry blonde, she padded out to her kitchen, drinking in how empty the house was as her head spun (along with the room, for that matter), and her stomach churned.

_"It's perfect, don't you think, Claire?"_

_Hands clasped in front of her, Serah came bounding over, all smiles and bright eyed as she motioned about the house. "It's exactly what we wanted… and totally affordable! We could be all moved in in a matter of weeks… and oh, come on, don't tell me you can't see the potential!"_

_"Hn…" Her eyes raking over the place, Lightning blanched at both the use of her real name and the raw enthusiasm radiating from the younger woman. She was well-aware that the real reason behind her sister's love of the place was the remarkable similarity it held to their first home, growing up. Before all the moving, and all of the… she shook her head, choosing not to dwell as she drank in the kitchen. Why did it have to be so pink? It wasn't yet, but she could see the wheels spinning in Serah's mind. The countertops would be a darker, crimson pink, the blinds would be a lighter rose, the walls… oh God, there was so much potential._

_And then there she was, hands folded and begging 'please' in front of her. Lower lip trembling just so. "Cl - Lightning. Don't you think it's nice?" In other words, please say yes. I love it. I want to live here._

_There really wasn't an option from that point forwards. Sighing, she allowed the younger blonde the smallest of grins and nodded her approval. With a squeal, Serah threw her arms about her sister's neck, hopping up and down excitedly as she indeed went on about how nice various shades of pink would look in the kitchen, and her bedroom… how they could decorate their new home._

_Home. This was home…_

There was the sound of glass hitting ceramic as she slammed the glass of water she was holding against the countertop. Some lilac faded crimson… bullshit. It was pink. Just like Serah had wanted.

Something in her chest tightened, and it tugged on her stomach. She fled the kitchen with her eyes stinging, focusing her attention on anything else. When she found herself doubled over her toilet, it was little surprise. Lightning had done nothing but think about the most disgusting things the entire way to the bathroom. Like the police report about her missing sister, all the potential kidnappers, things about signs of assault and rape…

And when you can't make your mind an absolute fucking void, empty the contents of your stomach the next morning.

Every time she shut her eyes, she saw her there. Serah, smiling, waving. Serah, telling her all about this guy she'd met. Serah, talking animatedly on the phone to some of her friends, telling them all about said guy, how her sister hated him, giggling over it like it was something cute. Serah, looking slightly more serious as she tried to tell her something. Serah, walking out the door with her head down and a ring on her finger. Serah, telling her she loved her, and she'd see her for supper.

Bull fucking shit she would. Broke her goddamn promise -

Lightning heaved, not bothering to try and stop herself as one hand braced her against the edge of the sink that rested beside the toilet, and her other held her hair back as best as she could. It felt like she was empty in more ways than one, but the poison from the previous night just kept coming up. How she had anything left to give was a mystery, even to her. She didn't recall spending this much. Then again, Snow usually settled her tabs nowadays. He might've thought she didn't know, but she could recall two distinct nights in which she most certainly had not gone out intending to drink. In which she'd had no money to speak of on her person, but had still managed to get shit-faced. And given that nobody had come knocking on her door looking for payment or to take her off to jail as a thief, she'd had to wager that the lummox was putting hefty wads of cash down on her behalf.

She felt herself push backwards, panting a bit as she pressed against the tub opposite her toilet, the cool chrome feeling almost good against the spot where her shirt had begun to ride up. After a few minutes of sitting there on the floor, broken and pathetic, she stood, shaking as she cleaned her face and hands, brushing her teeth for good measure. It was looking up here that she caught her own reflection, and this time repressed the urge to vomit.

There was an unusual pallor to her face, perhaps a reminder of last night as well. She had never been one to tan, but her current state made the light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks stand out even more. Her eyes were most certainly her mother's, blue-green and shifting between the two shades depending on lighting. They seemed to be an extremely dull blue today, no spark behind them at all. Even her hair, messy though it were, seemed to lack life. The sizable cowlick that she had fashioned into bangs after she'd been taunted by her younger sibling for most of her childhood about had calmed, making her entire persona seem… lacklustre. Other than the points where she was able to analyse and find bones that chose to jut out at awkward angles (such as her collarbone, her shoulders), she was a bit of toned muscle, and nothing more.

If you don't know what happened to your life, make plans to go out drinking later that night.

There was an incessant ringing, and though she couldn't quite decide if it was in her head or the phone, she chose to believe it was the latter, feet dragging as she made her way out of the bathroom. Every step felt like a whole kilometre, and by the time she reached her living area, Lighting could rest assured it was, indeed, the phone that had been ringing. Because now there was the one voice she _didn't_ want to hear in the morning (or afternoon, she realised, noting that she had yet to check a clock) coming from her answering machine.

"Hey sis! Just thought I'd drop you a line before I went out on the bike for the day. Hell, I'll probably roll over at some point. I was thinking, maybe we could do something _different_ tonight, since it seems like we're spending all our time together anyway! Gimme a buzz, you know the number."

Beep. Fucking beep. Snow was a moron, and always would be.

Without a second thought, she hit the erase button on her machine, closing her eyes to revel in her newfound silence. That was, until the phone rang again. Persistent little…

She wielded the plastic like it was a sword or gun, expertly flinging it upwards and cradling it against her cheek and ear with a snarl. "Snow, stop calling."

"Good to hear from you, Sergeant Farron. We were worried." She stiffened, not missing the bit of mirth in her employer's voice as he seemed amused by her break in character.

"Sir. No need to be worried."

"Good to hear it. I was just wondering if you'd thought at all about maybe taking a bit more time, an extension, if you will… seems a bit too early to have you back come this Wednesday, so soon after - "

"I'll be there. I don't need anymore extensions… sir."

When you have to pretty much beg for them to let you keep your job, and even the coldest man on the planet pities you, try not to break the phone.

Her fingers tightened around the plastic until her knuckles turned white, feeling the hard shell of the telephone begin to bow to her whims as the man on the other line heaved a short sigh, before declaring that it was ultimately her choice, and he wished her all the best. Call ended after silence beyond a short, "Yessir," on her part.

She put the phone down, took a moment to breathe in and close her eyes. Think. Breathe.

Rip the phone out of the fucking wall if you just can't take people anymore.

Unplug it and throw it so hard it breaks against the opposite wall if you never want to be contacted again.

And, truth be told, if you wanted an extension but couldn't bring yourself to hole up in your house any longer… well, then you go back to bed, and hope that when you wake up later on this evening, Snow won't be there, and you can drink yourself into oblivion. And maybe, just maybe, not be such a fucking coward… get the courage to end it all.

Yeah, that'd be nice.

* * *

YesAnimeCharactersCanBeSexy - Thanks! I'm hoping I don't disappoint, and hey, look. More delicious angst for you yet.

Linowscar - Aw, thanks so much! I'm feeling that, for now at least, I'm going to focus on the characters, and then ease us into the plot. Unless we want a more, bam, here it is aspect in this? Hm, well, it's something to ponder!

KuraiBites - Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy, and needless to say, actual romance is a way up the road yet. ;3 But when it comes… oh, you'll know.

SunflowerWielder - Thank you! I'm glad that nobody knows where we're headed yet. xD I'm going to be leaving clues throughout the chapters until we, you know… get there.

Tuume - Thanks bunches! I hope you enjoy your second serving of pain/angst today in here. The characterisation is something I'm really aiming for, especially in these early chapters. From what I've learnt in my years of writing, creating something interesting in the first three or four chapters, along with believable, relatable characters is the key to a success. :3

Sinister - Thanks! Your wish is my command. :D Since you were nice enough to review, along with the other five, a new chapter on the same day (well, a couple hours into the next, but within a twenty-four hour span)!

Thanks to all the reviewers. :3 You six are the only reason there's another chapter up so soon. As long as there's interest, I'm going to write. That in mind, my updates probably won't be this fast all the time, but who knows? I'll be writing this as much as I can, admits everything else in life. Hope you continue to enjoy!


	3. Chapter 2

Eek. So, decided I'd do a bit of a longer chapter… also decided I probably -really- need a beta reader after having a brief gander through this. Bit more dialogue between characters (and a few more characters to boot), but I'm still trying to keep it plenty descriptive since there are lots of positive reviews coming in about that. Finding a healthy balance is a pain. :c

There was different musical inspiration dependant on the part of the story I was working with, and since it's like 3am, I'm unfortunately in no condition to remember them right now. :c I'll post them next chapter to make up for it.

My hopes for and the intention behind this chapter? Whet your appetite a little bit by tossing you some plot that really won't mean much of anything until several more chapters down the road. :D It's only a little bit sadistic of me.

Chapter Two: Destroyed

"Hey, Fang! Slow down!"

With a huff, a redheaded girl ran through the tiny village of Oerba, bare feet padding soundly across the dirt path beneath them as she stared ahead, perfectly focused. Or at least, trying to be. She had a tendency to let her mind wander, which usually didn't work too well in her favour. Aha, but not today! Today was about chasing down her elusive best friend, and _not_ about distractions - hey, that was a really pretty flower!

_Thud!_

She hit the ground, feet tangled in a root she hadn't noticed from one of the nearby trees. Her eyes immediately welled up, lower lip coming forwards to create a tiny pout as she sniffled and moved to a sitting position, her left leg bent so the knee could be hugged close to her body. You might've thought, at nineteen, that she was beyond crying over scrapes and bruises. Then again, you also might've thought that she would've been prepared to walk like a normal human being, instead of trying to keep up with the superwoman that was Oerba Yun Fang. Said superwoman had turned around at the sound of her best friend falling, and was currently hanging upside-down from the tree in question, staring anxiously at the redhead.

"Are you alright there, love?" A shake of the head to indicate that no, she was not, in fact, alright. Green eyes peeked to the side, watching as the dark-haired woman strode over to her in a heartbeat. There was a brief hand motion made, indicating that she should let her friend take a look at the leg. "How bad is it? Let's take a look-see…"

"Owww… that really hurt, Fang," she muttered as the other poked her kneecap experimentally, standing and making a good show of hobbling. It was when the other went to support her that she slammed her weight onto both feet with no problem at all and, with a giggle, smacked the older woman's shoulder. "Tag!" And then she was off, leaving a stunned Fang in her wake as she headed through the foliage, giggling all the way.

Oerba Dia Vanille wins again, she mused, her sprint turning quickly to a happy skip and, eventually, a leisurely stroll as she soon realised that, if she was being pursued at all, it was rather quietly. Perhaps she was indeed alone out there… making her way through the dense foliage along the outskirts of Oerba. She could scarcely smell the smoke from her village anymore when turning back occurred to her, feet bringing her to an all-out halt.

A single, red flower lay before her, probably the exact size as her fist. It hung from thorns, a dangling beauty. Vanille struggled to recall its name, scratching the top of her head with a pout. What on Cocoon could it have been… there had been plenty as little as ten years ago. But as more and more of Oerba became the industrial part of Cocoon, they lost their wildlife, their heritage… themselves. Their colour. She allowed her fingers to touch and dance along the bright red petals, carefully avoiding the thorns as she felt a pair of arms snake around her from behind.

"You always were easily distracted…"

Vanille smiled, turning around in her best friend's arms to return the hug, letting it become almost bone-crushing as she flung her arms around Fang's neck and squeezed. "It's just… it's so beautiful here."

"Not as beautiful as it used to be," the other lamented, rubbing the redhead's back in lazy circles.

"There's… less colour," Vanille admitted, pulling away to stare at the lone flower as her shoulders sagged. Their beautiful world was turning into the tortured pit outsiders had always believed it to be. Was she stupid enough to think that they'd ever change their minds? No. Especially not now. But she would've loved to continue to live knowing that they were wrong. They were judging blindly, without knowing.

Fang's head dipped, and the younger of the pair caught her friend staring at her, immediately pasting a smile onto her features. "Come on, let's get back to the village!" The taller of the pair nodded with a slight shrug and grin of her own. The pair began their journey back, meandering about the foliage and taking their sweet time. Vanille was particularly careful around any upturned roots this time around, gingerly stepping over the one that had originally tripped her. As she was looking down to avoid this, she ran straight into the woman up front, pouting and rubbing the top of her head. "Why are we stopping?"

"Vanille… run."

"Huh?"

"I said run!"

No more time to talk or think, the redhead was hastily yanked in the opposite direction, moving her legs as fast as they would take her as she was pulled forwards by her arm, a panting Fang keeping the lead. "What - what is it!" she managed to get out, ducking to avoid a low-hanging branch as they finally parted, her keeping up along the ground as her friend took to the trees, climbing and leaping between them with speed and grace she only wished she possessed.

"Dark matter."

Two words was all it took to make her blood shoot cold as ice through her veins. She ran like a woman possessed, and didn't look back.

* * *

"Sergeant Farron, good to see you back," he stated idly, seemingly bored with the drama she'd brought into the office just by returning. Lightning hadn't bothered to listen to the whispers - they filtered through her as easily as water through spread fingers. The first sergeant seemed miffed, however. And that just might've been putting it mildly as he barked at a private they passed by who had stopped to stare. "Don't you have anything else to do, private?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" He hastily scampered away, knowing his place was more in the shadows when there were people of a higher rank wandering about. The first sergeant grumbled, rubbing his temples as he walked forwards. Lightning trailed wordlessly behind, drinking in the base.

Everything was crafted from chrome, and powered by concentrated matter. She knew the place like the back of her hand, gloved or otherwise. "As you know, there was a sighting in Oerba two days ago," he began at his leisure, waving a hand as if to dismiss the… happening. "The village was wiped out. No survivors. We'll be holding a mass for them on Friday, to honour their little backwater community. In time, people will forget about Oerba - what they won't forget about, Sergeant, is if you let it happen here. Or any of the other big cities, for that matter. Sensors are showing a higher concentration of dark matter in the area as of late. I'm sure you know what that means." Of course she did. Patrol duty. Hours upon gruelling hours of no sleep, no sitting down, no eating, no drinking. Just standing and walking the same square kilometre, protecting it from something that nobody had any clue how to stop, should it even come.

It could last for days before they sent relief. Oh, goodie glee.

The only bright side to the entire affair was that if she was focused on strange happenings and on edge, she could forget about Serah. Or at least, forget about what had potentially happened to Serah. And without sleep, you couldn't dream. No dreams, no nightmares. It'd probably be the best few days she'd get to suffer through all month. "I'm giving you the Square," he stated, stopping and lowering his voice. "That is, if you can pull yourself together enough to handle such an area. I'll give you a group of privates to command. I'll even put in a good word to have you promoted to staff sergeant. Just, for everything you're fucking worth, keep that Square safe. Understood, Sergeant?"

"Understood, sir."

"At ease. You'll be sent out at nineteen hundred hours, set to patrol for forty-six. Are you prepared?"

"Yes sir."

"Excellent. You're dismissed until duty, sergeant." Both spun on their heels and marched away, Lightning bowing her head as she thought to herself of the mission she'd just been handed. Protect the square. Right. He said it like it was going to be easy, something along the lines of 'here, watch this baby', or 'can you eat my ice cream scoop for me?'

Truth be told, she was hardly prepared. But she would be by the time nightfall came. Ready and waiting for any signs of trouble. Usually, having even one Guardian in an area would discourage any troublemakers from stirring the pot. Having a small platoon? You'd have to have a death wish. She scoffed at the thought, hand instinctively flying to her gunblade where it rested against her thighs in a tough leather scabbard. It felt nice to have some power behind her again. Something tangible that wasn't going to leave and never come back. Something she could hold onto. Something to rely on.

The strawberry blonde's eyes cut sideways to the private from earlier, spying him staring at her. Another gossip monger, waiting for a morsel to share with the other troops. She threw her head up, straightened her shoulders, and walked with the confidence anyone would have expected of her before Serah's… before there hadn't been a Serah in her life anymore. She took long, purposeful strides, and exited the room without so much as a backwards glance.

Let them gossip about that.

* * *

Nineteen hundred hours, the Square in the city of Eden was quiet. As expected, really, given the amount of Guardians wafting about. Various ranks represented, mostly privates, and then herself. The lone sergeant to oversee them all. Quaint, really. They were strategically positioned throughout the place. She had, of course, given herself enough room to operate in relative solitude. Every so often, one of her privates would stop by to report, but the square was as expected for the most part - silent. Lightning personally detested the quiet. It left her too much time to wallow in the would have been's and the could have been's.

Her mouth felt surprisingly dry without the liquor. She was still stunned that she'd managed to develop such a dependence on alcohol. Her mind roamed to Snow's lame hints that perhaps she'd enjoy an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, before he'd corrected himself. Remembering that nowadays, she didn't enjoy anything at all.

He'd been ever persistent though. Want to watch a movie, Lightning? Want to take a ride on my bike, Lightning? Want to spend time together watching clouds and picking daisies, Lightning?

It was as though he thought that her being eternally annoyed was better than a self-deprecating mess. He could've very well have been right, though she never would've admitted it. "Sergeant Farron - "

"Return to your post, private," she commanded, voice smooth and controlled. Like she used to be. How she wished she still was. The man before her shifted nervously from one foot to the other, biting his lip. Inwardly, she sighed. "What?"

"Someone said they saw dark matter," he whispered, shuddering so hard it was difficult to miss.

If you find the one person weaker than you currently are, try to stifle a groan. Or take two drinks, whatever's more convenient come that point in time.

"And I guess we're just expected to believe everything people say that they saw?" He trembled in response. "Nevermind. Just take me to it." He flitted off to the west, Lightning mentally marking her previous position. She was fairly certain she'd be returning to it once she debunked this theory. Honestly, one little backwater village gets wiped off the map, and the whole world is up in arms. Not that it had been the first - and if things continued, it certainly would not be the last. She frowned, slowing a touch. Serah had never trusted matter as a means of energy. She'd always said there was something about the way it was processed that made her uneasy.

It was times like these she wondered why she never listened. "Right here, Sergeant."

Blue-green eyes narrowing, she gave the area a fair scan, though with the setting sun it was made a touch difficult to look for their silent enemy. A solid minute passed, then another before she turned her gaze back to the shivering man. "Private, there's nothing here."

"B-but…"

"You're dismissed. Take a day off before your ranting scares the locals."

"Y-yes Sergeant." The metaphorical dog with a tail between his legs, his shoulders slumped as he walked away, muttering something or other about how he was so certain he'd seen something. The blonde sighed, casting one glance to each of the shadows in the area before turning on the heel of her boot and marching back the way she'd came.

There was nothing to worry about in Eden. At least, not that night.

* * *

Linowscar - Thanks! I'm glad that the prologue and first chapter went over as well as they did, honestly. I haven't, you know, gone back and read them or anything, but still am very glad. xD I'm going to definitely be working on character development, and I'm currently thinking about ways to tie it in with the plot, etc. Hopefully I can cultivate an environment where that sort of thing stays as easy as it has been thus far.

Tuume - Thank you! You're always one to catch onto what I was aiming for, so I never really feel the need to gently nudge in my review replies what you should be looking for in the mood of each chapter. :3 Hopefully I keep doing this justice.

YACCBS - Oh thank heavens for the name abbreviation! I mean, I totally copied and pasted before, but that's besides the point. A bit of something in this chapter to tide us over as we meander through the next few chapters, etc. I thought about breaking it up, but figured I'd best give you all a taste now of things that're coming before we maybe focus a bit more on something else come next chapter, etc. I have ideas. 8D Which is good for me, really. Kind of a new experience. xD Less angst here, but I won't say you should give up hope for more. It'll come. ;D

Haruka-Chan 212 - It could be, it could be! :D At least, it seems to be! Haha, thanks. Another update here. :3

SinisterPurr - Aww, thank you. :3 Like I've been saying in the other review replies, we're shaking it up a tiny bit here, trying to explore the world a bit, etc. Hopefully I'm not getting boring or anything. :3

SunflowerWielder - The magic of flashback, yarr! Ooh, Recessional is amazing, yes! :D I'm so glad someone commented on the music, because I'm kind of planning on doing that for each chapter. Except this one. Because I'm kind of really tired. I'm very excited that you said it was more realistic at a slower pace, because that's really what I'm going for.

metacog - Thank you! And yes, I definitely have plans! I'm glad the flashback served its purpose and didn't completely put people off! But sometimes, they just seem so… necessary to build upon a character. When you start with them destroyed, I feel it's maybe a touch more emphatic to show that they weren't always a hot mess. :D

Badboyzkg - Thank you! Here, have another. :3

alike - Thanks! :3 I'm hoping I'm pumping these out fast enough… I know the key is to get you all hooked, then slack off a bit. ;D It's kind of like cocaine. :D

AzureIfrit - Thanks so much. :3 I'm really trying to pace myself. I get excited every now and again, and it's like… no, Provocative, rein it in. We'll do that in a few more chapters. xD But yay, plot sampler in chapter two!

I just want to once again thank everybody for reviewing. :3 I totally monitor hits to the story, how many people are subbing for alerts and (making me blush) adding as a favourite story. It's completely flattering to know that anybody's reading, let alone the amount of people that are. So a quick shout-out to you all - I'll write as long as you enjoy it. :3


	4. Chapter 3

So I have a beta reader now, hooray! Everybody give SinisterPurr a huge hand, because she's been the one who sifted through the first few chapters and fixed my numerous typos, and also the person who encouraged me to post this one when I wasn't too sure of it myself. Not to mention she corrected it, etc. You definitely owe her for the typo-less chapters from this point on. :3 And the corrected first few.

I want to just give a general reminder that this is an AU - I'm taking some liberties here because I figure I can twist things to suit my needs within the story. xD; I apologise if I'm absolutely raping everything you know and love about the game in the process.

Still taking it slow, but exploring a little bit further. Here's another chapter for you all to chew on whilst I write the next. I'm maybe a quarter to a third of the way through that one, depending. It's always hard to tell where exactly I'm going to end, I just… leave it wherever feels right, really.

And without further ado…

Chapter Three: Separation

"Vanille!"

Fang shot awake like a bullet leaving a pistol, eyes adjusting to the night rather quickly. She tensed, waiting for her eyes to adjust. Any amount of vulnerability in this sort of situation was unwise. She certainly wouldn't be the idiot who lost her life trying to move before it came time. Instead, she focused on her hearing for the time being. No signs of breathing. Damn it! What had happened… "Vanille," she called, a bit more quietly now. Shapes around her began to form, the tall woman growling as she started to crawl on her hands and knees. From the feel of it, she was on loosely-packed dirt - something that had been overturned recently. She was willing to wager this was yet another result of the dark matter.

Crawling forwards at a bit of a faster pace yet, she lowered her voice to a whisper and called out again. "Vanille." No noise, no signs of life. Her eyes finally adjusting a bit better to the dark, Fang brought herself to a crouch, grunting as something popped. Though the sensation wasn't immediately unpleasant, it left her knee tingling and numb. She must've gone down on that one, she thought idly.

Whatever had happened back there was something she'd have to piece together later. First priority at the moment was finding Vanille, and then figuring out where, exactly, they'd run. Following that, they could decide together where they should be going from this point forwards. Oerba was out of the question, and unfortunately, the only place she knew. Of course they were aware of the existence of other villages, towns, and cities across Cocoon and the neighbouring province of Gran Pulse. They weren't uneducated. Unfortunately, they'd also never felt a need to _explore_. Truth be told, if this had never happened, she probably would've never entertained the thought. Fang had been more than content in her home.

Snarling, she pushed against a particularly large tree frond, making her way through the forest. "Vanille!" Louder now. There wasn't anything, no sounds, no stirring… nothing. Everything told her to be wary, take it slow. There would always be a reason for silence in a forest, and said reasons were rarely good. "Well, this is just perfect," she stated, rolling her eyes and grumbling to herself as she continued her trek. Panic setting in, where was Vanille? Stay calm, remember the quietness - but damn it, Vanille was out there somewhere. She had to be out there somewhere.

_"Fang, it's - "_

_"Keep running!"_

The dark-haired woman folded her arms across her chest, trying to make out several lumps in the darkness up ahead. The last thing she needed to do was disturb a sleeping predator. Wouldn't that be lovely? Get eaten and leave Vanille alone. Hah. That'd just complete the shitty day she'd been having, wouldn't it? She could only imagine. Sorry I wasn't there to save you, I was busy letting a behemoth nibble my legs!

A squawk to her left, the first sign of any life. She immediately set off in that direction, snapping a long, low-hanging branch on her way as a means of protection. If there was something dangerous out there, it had undoubtedly heard her by now. "Vanille?" she tried, holding the branch like a spear in front of her.

Instead of the girl she'd been hoping for, a creature akin to a squirrel came scurrying down the trunk of a nearby tree. It was a bit larger than the ones she used to see about Oerba, and was sinfully ugly. "Ugh… you're a strange fucker," she stated, looking at the thing's beaked face. There were two sets of whisker on either side of said beak, its paws large, but lacking any useful claw. "Shoo."

_Squawk. _

"No. I refuse to have you for a companion. You're filthy, you're ugly, and frankly, you smell absolutely terrible. Get." It occurred to her that she might not smell all that much better, though she ignored it as she moved on past the pest. There was something about it that didn't sit right with her in spite of its seemingly useless nature. It followed her as she moved forwards, persisting its horrid clicks and chirps and warbling all the way. "Are you trying to get us eaten?"

_Cheep._

Oh, what she would give to be able to take its _silence_ for a yes. "If you know so much, why don't you lead on, then?" It sat and stared. "Great. Then I suppose I'll be the one in charge, if you don't mind." That said, she began to stride forwards again, focusing on the sounds around them. There were deep breath sounds just up ahead, something that sounded larger than her noisy partner. It, however, did not seem at all concerned by this, letting out a particularly loud noise.

The thing ahead rustled, growling deep in response. Fang could've killed her squirrel friend at this point in time, smacking it with the pointed end of her branch in irritation. The creature went flying through the forest, screeching all the way. She felt absolutely no remorse, the large… well, whatever the creature was ahead springing to life after it with a roar. Glad to be rid of a pest and a major obstacle, she carried onwards, her hand rubbing the back of her sore neck.

It was somewhere between that point and the next three hours before sunrise that Oerba Yun Fang declared this whole mess entirely abhorrent. She was exhausted, bruised, and in the light, she noticed, bloodied a bit too. But she couldn't stop, not when Vanille was out there somewhere. It had occurred to her that the girl's poor sense of direction and tracking skills had potentially lead her not to realise she'd been close to her friend upon waking. Maybe at this point in time she'd crawled off on her own in the direction she herself was headed. The lack of tracks did not support the theory, but until she found a body, she refused to be a pessimist.

She'd find her. Eventually.

_Squawk._

And maybe she'd play Darwin along the way and rid the ecosystem of a few other pests whilst she was at it.

* * *

Snow crossed his arms behind his head with a snort, finding slight enjoyment in the antics of his friends as he watched them at the bar in the Square. He'd deliberately chosen this pub, watching as Guardian soldiers filtered in and out as their shifts ended. He called this 'thinking ahead'. Be where Lightning was _probably_ going to wind up anyway, and maybe he could prevent something catastrophic. Like her plus her gunblade plus seven tequila shots. It was amazing, really, how poorly she held her liquor.

Given her rate of consumption and all that.

He was seriously all over this, though. Ready and waiting for her to come through those doors, and otherwise, listening to the chatter of the townsfolk. Oh, the weather was atrocious, this he knew. The rain had started about three hours ago and just hadn't let up. They felt safer, knowing that Guardians were around. Some of the older folk thought it was the gouvernment up to something or other. He grinned to himself, nodding at their logic. He couldn't have disagreed. If they were willing to deploy so many of their 'valuable Guardians' to such a small city (compared to some of the others, they were miniscule), there must have been something up. Did he trust the gouvernment? Not at all.

But it wasn't like he had a choice. This was his home, and he wasn't willing to pack up and leave because of some… whispered rumours and a tiny bit of knowledge. Nope. He was going to do what he always did - kick back, relax, and hope to every deity he could name that nothing changed. He'd had enough change lately to last him a lifetime.

Glancing at the watch on his wrist above his glove, the blonde man sighed. It was about time for her to be getting off. She had, what, maybe another ten minutes out in the rain? How boring of her to be working until the absolute last minute. People like Lightning were why he'd never get a job. Too much stress, too much hassle… too many expectations, obligations. Too much authority involved. He was a free man, always had been and always would be. Nobody was going to push him into a suit and an office for days on end.

He grinned to himself, thinking of her standing out there, rigid and vigilant. Not that he didn't fully support what the Guardians did; just not his thing. He couldn't have handled the long hours of… well, nothing. They could patrol for days, weeks, months, and if they were really unlucky, years without ever seeing any action. That was the price you paid for living in a safe world. Monotony. Boring, boring shit day in and day out. Yeah, that Lightning… she really was a corporate slave. Heh.

The man's smile faltered slightly, arms crossing behind his head as his boots came up to sit on the bar in front of him and he leaned back in the chair. She wasn't even fun to pick on anymore, damn it. She hardly fought back. It was like finding a peanut, and discovering that someone else had eaten the goods, then cleverly had sewn up the shell and tossed it to the wind to be found again. About that disappointing, realising once you got a hold of it that there was just nothing in that shell anymore. There might've been, once upon a time; but now you're just stuck with someone else's empties.

Still, he couldn't give up on her. He was watching too many people around them do just that. Bartenders included. They didn't even try to make conversation with her anymore. They put drinks out and shut up. Because nobody wanted to talk to a moping, angry-at-the-world Guardian sergeant unless they absolutely had to.

He supposed he was a rare exception to this consensus, grinning once again. Yeah, he was special alright. A real hero… just too bad he couldn't have been one when it had counted.

_"Hey, Snow?" Large, blue-blue eyes staring at him. Blue like crystal, tiny flecks of grey in them here and there. They didn't mar her irises, but instead amplified them tenfold. Made her eyes alone too much for him, and more than he ever deserved. He worshipped everything about her._

_"Yeah?" His goddess had called, and he didn't fight her beckon. But something was… off. She seemed genuinely lost in thought, and whilst she was Serah and thus prone to a bit of daydreaming, it wasn't usually so serious. "Got something on your mind?" Idiot, of course she did. He resisted the urge to shove his palm into his face at how adept he was at stating the obvious. _

_The young woman before him fidgeted, glancing downwards briefly. He put a hand on her shoulder in hopes of reassuring her, all grins when she looked up. "I'm just… thinking about Lightning." It sounded like a cover, but he couldn't dismiss anything she said. With her ash blonde hair, tinted scarlet whenever the sun would hit it just right, and her cherry pink smile. "You know how she gets."_

_"Hey, don't even worry about it. I can handle her," he stated, full of himself and of her as he grinned even wider, watching as she giggled. At the time, it had seemed like there was nothing in the world that could come between them. "I'll keep an eye on her whenever I can, okay? I mean, without her inflicting serious bodily harm. In the meantime, you do me a favour and smile a bit more often. Deal?"_

_"Okay, deal." And so she smiled._

He couldn't let go of any promise he'd made to Serah. If Lightning wanted to destroy her life before it'd had the chance to begin, he couldn't stop her. But he had to be there. He had to try, damn it.

Another glance at his watch confirmed that in his daydreaming of Serah and promises, Snow had lost another half hour or more of his life. He sighed, pushing himself to a standing position and stretching, his back making a satisfying crack. Time to go track her down. If she wasn't headed for this bar, it'd probably be another one. Sigh. Sometimes, it sucked to be the nice guy. She wasn't exactly the easiest of drunks to occasionally fling over his shoulder and drag all the way to her home. She liked to make loud, obnoxious, hurtful comments. And do hurtful things with her fists and knees and elbows and boots.

Snow grimaced at the rain as he exited the noisy pub, pulling the collar of his trench coat higher in an attempt to cover his ears as he moved forwards, his head lowered against the storm. It was then that he spied her across the square, sitting on a stone ledge and staring at… well, nothing in particular from what he could tell. The blonde couldn't tell if this was progress or regression, and decided to move forwards hoping and expecting only the former.

There was no place to go but up when it came to Lightning right about now. Any further down, and she may as well have been dead.

"Hey sis, whatcha doin'?"

A soft scoff, but otherwise, nothing. No insistence that she wasn't his sister, no telling him to shut up, buzz off, go away. Nothing. Soaked from head to toe, she sat in the rain, strawberry blonde locks plastered to her face, redder with the wetness. He noticed the slight change in colour mostly because of how pale her skin was in the moment, and the comparison was… well, stark to say the least. "Something's different about you," he joked, lamely at that, "New boots?"

Again, no response. Sighing, he took a seat next to the drenched woman, only then noticing that the Guardian was shivering just slightly. Grinning, he removed his coat and put it around her, sitting otherwise wordlessly in the downpour. He got the feeling that, to her, this was one of those conversations where nothing at all needed to be said. He, personally, liked words. She seemed to gather more from actions and silence. From what he understood of her, anyway… which was surprisingly little, given that he'd known her for about eleven months now. Almost a year.

"I miss her." It was so quiet, he nearly missed it, blue eyes turning onto the brokenhearted sergeant and staring at her for a moment before he cautiously put an arm around her, praying she wouldn't rip it off. Something told him she just wasn't in the mood to.

"Me too."

* * *

The Extreme Piercing - Sorry I missed you last chapter! Your review came through just after I posted the last time around. So, you get to be first this time! Thanks so much for the encouragement! Emo is the last thing I'm aiming for here, especially with the things I have planned. I don't want to turn _too_ many people off before I even get this ball truly rolling here! And hey, I don't believe in magical cures, even if they are Oerba Yun Fang. :3

Haruka-Chan 212 - Haha, patience, my young grasshopper. But keep in mind, each chapter is one more step towards that goal. 8D

Blurb - Thanks! I'm glad I'm not boring too many people. xD And heck no, if I'm given an eternally shit-upon city, heavens to Betsy, I'm shitting on it too! Er… figuratively speaking. And as long as people keep wanting more, I'll keep writing. :3

Myev - Thank you! Haha, once again, I'm relieved that the amount of people yelling "hurry up!" is far outweighed by people who enjoy the pace here. Thanks again for the compliments on my characterisation, I hope I didn't fail to deliver in this chapter. :3

Tuume - Hah, thanks! I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw Vanille that way. :3 Lightning will certainly be fun to handle in the upcoming chapters. I've already got some scenarios in my mind to play out in future chapters, and I'm just not sure which outcome to ultimately go with when it comes to most of them. I suppose whatever feels right at the time. :3 Hope you enjoy the newest update!

metacog - Ooh, thanks for the review! :3 And arguments, Fang and Lightning? No, never! Sarcasm, me? No, never!

Badboyzkg - Thanks, haha! It's always strange when you know the people reviewing along with you, eh? xD Here's an update for you, lovely! Tell me what you think!

.1990 - Thank you! No problem, I know how time-consuming life can be in general. Here's the next chapter, ah!

SunflowerWielder - Thanks bunches love! Good response, good response. xD If Fang is nearly peeing herself, we should all be following suit. I'm glad you're finding Lightning eerie. :D Sunshine and roses just doesn't seem like a good injection to the story at this point in time, so I'm hoping for more of that to come yet. And hey, who're you kidding? I love your reviews!

SinisterPurr - Thank you, once again, my super awesome beta reader. :3 I'm glad you enjoyed Vanille, and I'm glad you're helping me manage the typos from here on out.

-humanequinn- - Thanks so much! The pacing can't stay slow forever, so I figured we might as well enjoy it whilst we can! I'll try to keep up see good writing skills just for you and the rest of my reviewers. xD

Laura25 - Aw, thank you so much for the kind review! People like you are the reason the updates keep coming. :3

Oerba Yun Fang - Thanks! I'm glad you like the story. Where it's an AU, I am taking some liberties. Example being that Oerba isn't on Gran Pulse, etc. You'll probably see a few more things that just don't mesh with the game as we go forwards, but I'm taking a few creative liberties for the sake of creating the plot. I hope it doesn't detract from the experience!


	5. Chapter 4

So here we see that I can maybe get around to bringing some people together. Just a couple, though. And why? Because I felt like it. No, actually, I've got some kind of plan in the works. I'm also really not working that much this week at all, so if the reviews stay as steady as they have been, you're probably looking at another update or two. :3 I won't promise, but I'll definitely say it is a strong possibility.

Music for this chapter was mostly some peppy stuff that I'm pretty embarrassed to admit listening to. The song I was listening to the most during this, however, was Mouthwash by Kate Nash. I think it's a pretty perfect Vanille song, when it gets down to it.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. I'm tired, and so here's your chapter.

Chapter Four: Shoes

"Nnn…" Twitch. "Ah…" Shuffle. So close, yet so far. Her mouth felt dry like the bolls of cotton she'd learnt to pick off of plants in order to make her clothing, halters for wild chocobo… blankets. Oh, what she wouldn't have given for a blanket! Sneezing, she stood on a street corner, hugging herself and ignoring the strange looks people passing by were giving her. It could've been that she was absolutely filthy. It could've been that she was half-naked.

But Vanille was willing to wager it was her lack of shoes. All these people had shoes! Even the bad-smelling ones, and the half-naked ones!

She wandered a bit, swaying with the dehydration. How many days had she been walking? She wasn't entirely sure. She'd stopped to rest a few times, and she was certain she'd lost track of some sunrises and sunsets during that time period. She knew for a fact that, other than the one illusion, she hadn't seen so much as a drop of water during her trek. She spied dark clouds up ahead and had headed for them, in this city, but the walk had been much farther than she'd expected. It was sunny by the time she reached the bustling square, and now her voice was pretty much gone.

"Wah…" _Water._

She managed to get caught up in a sea of people, crossing the street with them. People in better suits tried to avoid rubbing up against her, looking at her and making faces. One man uttered a quick, "Yuck."

The redhead stood on the other side of the road alone, for what it was worth, stopping after that insult to muster enough of her strength to look offended. If that meant the same here as it did where she was from, then that was a very rude comment to be making indeed! It was during this fit that everybody else had left.

And there she was, feeling alone in a crowd. Nervously putting her hands in front of her, she crossed her pinkies and index fingers, thumbs pointing back towards herself. Oh, this just wasn't any good… she was lost. And there were hundreds, thousands of people around who wouldn't come near her for whatever reason! Well, most likely the shoes. She needed some shoes. Someone who walked by looked at her as if she were offensive, taking a few steps back and scrunching his nose.

Ohh, it could be the smell too. A bath would be very nice!

With this in mind, she moved forwards with a bit more pizzazz, flashing exhausted smiles at the people around her. No matter how disgusted they seemed, or how dry her lips were. No matter how dehydrated, or how bad it felt when the corners of her mouth cracked just slightly. It was going to be a long day, a fact that she recognized with a dim sort of resignation. There was hardly any use complaining about it - and besides that, whom exactly would she be complaining to? It wasn't as though she had her usual sidekick there by her, ready to quip or comment about her every move. She kind of missed the maddening teasing.

Idly wandering, she wondered where, exactly, Fang was at this point in time, if she'd even…

Well, you know. Made it. She gulped eyes widening a touch and growing wet at the mere thought. She could stand to lose her only companion in the world, not after losing her home and all of the people in it. She thought back to the dark matter with a frown, treading forwards with her head bowed now, hands once again folded in front of her. Fidgeting against one another, the usual push-and-pull reaction of a nervous or thoughtful Vanille. It was during her pondering that she came toe-first into a solid slab of hard, rough rock, yelping and jumping back as her foot throbbed in agony. That was probably the advantage to shoes - things didn't hurt quite so much should you run into something whilst wearing them.

Her eyes really began to water now, lower lip jutting out in a pout as she sniffled and looked up at… the most fantastic sight to behold. In the past few days, she'd seen nothing as uplifting as this! Gleefully, she clapped, and promptly climbed over the concrete wall she'd hit, which had turned out to be the side of a rather large fountain. Bathing! Drinking! She could be clean and hydrated again! She splashed gleefully in the water for a moment before crouching, drinking the spraying water as it tumbled from some kind of statue above until she had had her fill. At this point in time, she was thoroughly soaked and loving it, rubbing at her dirty arms with a grin and a hum.

That was, until someone cleared their throat. Said someone was a touch difficult to make out, obscured by the fountain water that softly pelted the top of her head. Green eyes widening a touch, Vanille decided to come bounding to the edge to say a quick and friendly hello, and thank this citizen for their lovely bathing area.

Said citizen did not look as friendly as they had through the water, though. She almost ran back upon seeing a large… well, she couldn't tell exactly _what_ it was, but it was most definitely a weapon, hanging there behind the woman's legs in some taut, animal-skin holster. The woman herself was tall, thin, and stern - strawberry blonde, authoritative, and pretty… save for the fact that her eyes were about as empty as the redhead's stomach at that point in time. Oh, that reminded her! Perhaps once she was done having her bath, she could go get food… and shoes.

"Is there any reason you're frolicking about in the fountain?"

She gulped, noting the harsh, though amazingly smooth tone to the woman's voice. She held herself well, and spoke as you might expect. Clear-cut, to the point. Crisp. There was little left to the imagination here - she was obviously expecting some kind of explanation.

"Ah, well… you see, I was dirty. And thirsty! I'm also a touch new to the town, and I do want to thank your elders for putting the bathing area here! Mind you, the sides are, ah… a little hard. I think I hurt my foot a bit finding this…" The other woman, if she was sympathetic, did not show it. She did mutter something or other that Vanille missed, due to it being both very quiet and the fact that her accent was just a touch… strange. She was willing to wager everybody here had an off lilt to their voice, though.

"I need you to get out of the fountain. It's for display purposes only."

"Oh… well, there should be signs for that!" she huffed, exiting the fountain and feeling the hot ground warm her tender feet. The woman before her glanced down as well, finally showing some ounce of emotion as she quirked an eyebrow at the sight.

"There are signs."

A slender finger pointed almost directly behind the Oerban, who turned to stare at some scribbles that made absolutely no sense to her at all. "What about a guardian, perhaps? Someone who told travellers about it?"

"That would be me."

"Oh… right!" She grinned, rubbing the back of her drenched head sheepishly, bangs falling across her eyes just a touch. She scooped them out of the way, feeling them fall back into their previous position. It was really no use trying to do anything with her hair until it was at least partially dry. A breeze picked up, chilling her almost immediately. Her arms wrapped about her torso as she shivered, a large frown crossing her features.

She heard a sigh in front of her, followed by something that sounded strangely like, "Why me?" Another short puff, and the put-off woman stared her straight in the face. "Try to stay out of fountains - and trouble - for the rest of your stay, please." That said, she turned on her heel, and walked away, her boots making audible clicks for a brief moment before she melted into the crowd.

And there she was, alone again. Now wet, cold, and fully realizing that she was both starving and in desperate need of shoes. Right. She would look through these buildings (which were larger, and so much harsher than the ones she was used to) and see if any was willing to sell her either. She patted the brown pack on her left side with a smile and set off, ringing out the animal fur she sported over the rest of her clothing along the way. She noted their use of stone seemed excessive, as well as something that resembled iron, though didn't feel quite the same when she pressed her hand to it. They also favoured a lack of colour, save when it came to the writing of their signs.

Which all seemed to be in some manner of scribbles she absolutely couldn't understand. This made finding exactly where she should be going a touch difficult. Her blessing was that she wasn't shy, and now that she was starting to dry off a bit and didn't smell like a behemoth's rear end anymore, people were more inclined to answer her.

"Excuse me, do you know where I could get some shoes please?" she tried one man, watching as he immediately looked at her feet, before incredulously glancing back to her. He nodded and gave quick directions that she wasn't entirely certain of, and after walking into three wrong buildings (the last of which had some questionable people just sitting and staring at her when she entered, causing a nervous giggle and backing out), she found the appropriate place.

There were many, many shoes. "Can I help you?" She smiled and shook her head, racing off down the aisles with a short giggle. This was like heaven! If only Fang could see this…

She paused, slowing her pace as she thought back to her friend. Right, shoes, food, and then she needed to start searching more seriously for Fang. Right! Vanille nodded, entirely serious as she attempted to look as professional as she wanted to, resting her elbow in her left hand, whilst the fingers of her right hand stroked her chin thoughtfully.

A pair of blue boots with some fur lining caught her eye, and she excitedly grabbed them, pulling them onto her feet experimentally. They were warm, a touch tight due to the unusual spreading of her toes, but otherwise felt amazing compared to bare feet. She'd get used to not having to spread her toes again, and she was sure they'd feel even better.

The redhead paraded proudly to the front of the store, standing in line with about three other women, idly swinging her arms back and forth, to and fro and humming to herself as she took another moment to analyse the strangeness of this place. They used artificial lighting! She wasn't entirely sure how, for she couldn't see any fire or lightning bugs about, but they managed to light the entire store from the ceiling.

Still fascinated, she nearly missed that it was her turn to speak with the woman behind the counter, merely grinning like a kitten full of cream as she pointed to her boots. The woman there stopped chewing some wad of pink in her mouth to look down before pulling back and nodding, hitting something on the tray in front of her before saying, "That will be six-hundred-seven gil total."

"I don't think I have any of this 'gil', but I have this!" she proudly pulled out her best medicinal herbs, placing them on the counter. "They're mostly fresh, and came straight from my village!"

The woman stared, pushing the herbs back towards Vanille in what looked to the girl to be a combination of confusion and disgust. "Don't you have any real gil? You can't buy anything without gil."

"But I don't even know what gil is," she explained, furrowing her brows in confusion. Vanille wasn't entirely sure what happened, but the word 'security' was uttered, which really didn't sound all that promising for a few minutes as she tried to explain to the woman that these were premium-quality herbs, and the other kept insisting she hand her some currency called gil.

Several people in the store were staring oddly, and others, she noted, seemed a touched… er, miffed. The redhead was very much getting the impression that this place she had stumbled across was quite unlike her home, though now she was trying to explain to someone's 'manager' the value of these herbs. It was then that something was slapped rather unceremoniously in front of her. They appeared to be little trinkets, shining and all different sizes. "That should be enough."

"Y-yes… thank you Sergeant."

Green eyes turned to light upon the woman from before, at the fountain. She found that said woman was now taking her by her arm, sighing and hauling her out of the shoppe with all the shoes. Outside, it had started to cloud over just slightly, the sun from before hiding and thus casting odd shadows across the tall edifices she'd come to realize were the usual for these strange people. "Was that gil?" she inquired, still being pulled forwards by the other woman, making an effort to smile at various people they passed through the crowd.

The woman cast her an odd look, and once again she was struck by the severity of her features, and the emptiness of her eyes. Fang had liked to call Vanille perceptive - said she maybe read a bit too much into people for her own good. Then again, Fang hardly noticed body language or attitude before she was actually talking to someone, so perhaps she wasn't the best gauge of -

"Yes," came the curt reply, the woman whipping around a corner. Her cloak was a brilliant red, and fluttered near the Oerban's nose as she moved, causing her to giggle. "I'm glad you find this funny. I'm out five-hundred gil because of you."

"Is that a lot?" She heard the other woman sigh in response, turning to face her as she dropped her arm in favour of crossing her own over her chest. Vanille, never to be left behind when learning the local social norms, mimicked the action, doing her best to imitate the other's stern glare and only managing to squint and pout.

For a moment, the strawberry blonde woman seemed like she was about to answer, before shaking her head and turning around, just as she had before. "Forget it. Just stay out of trouble. For both our sakes." Oh no! She was leaving again!

"Ahh, wait for me!" the shorter of the pair cried, waving her arms above her head enthusiastically for a moment before running after the woman, deciding that if this was her only friend in this city, she would certainly make the best of it. She caught up, huffing and panting just a bit. Her new shoes still felt stiff, though she was willing to break them in. "I wanted to thank you for these!" she explained, as the other woman turned to stare at her once again. There was something to the way she looked at people that screamed 'leave me alone'. Vanille chose to ignore this warning.

Her stomach burst in at this point in time, gurgling rather unpleasantly before either woman could so much as blink. A long, loud rumble that started from her very core. She felt her cheeks go hot, wrapping her arms about herself and grinning almost sheepishly. "Eheh…"

The other woman shook her head as she seemed so fond of doing before staring expectantly at the redhead. Too proud to beg in that moment, she tried to ignore the burning in the pit of her stomach. "Umm… what's your name?" she tried, grinning awkwardly still as she straightened up a bit. Right, adult conversation! Introductions, and then maybe she could explain that she was looking for someone… see if this woman had seen Fang. And if not, maybe she'd be willing to help her find her! She doubted that was the case, but she'd already been surprised by her once today, and had some footwear to show for it...

"Lightning," came the short reply from her new-found companion, before the woman turned and, once again, left her behind.

* * *

SunflowerWielder - I'm pretty sure they try their hardest with the alerts, but if you're just sitting on the story pounding the refresh button, you might be making it hard for them to beat you to the punch… I'm teasing, of course. xD I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Thanks! I'm definitely feeding you more candy. 8D Starburst, eh? I will get some for myself as well, methinks! Anyway, thanks so much. 83 I hope you enjoy this one too.

SinisterPurr - Thanks so much lovely! :3 You didn't miss a thing, I'm sure. At least, nobody that I spoke to about the chapter was able to find anything. You're doing an amazing job.

Blurb - Aw, thank you! Poor Snow indeed, right? Eh, we'll give him a chapter or two to rest up. You'll probably be happy to see that Vanille is all well right now. Or at least, she isn't dead. Yay! I'm not going to comment on Serah. xD Ahaha, I'm glad you enjoyed her fugly creature adventures. x3

Tuume - Thanks again for your reviews! You're way too kind. x3 And yet again, you totally get what I'm going for, which is always a big plus. Makes me feel like I'm doing my job right!

AzureIfrit - Why hello there stranger. xD Thanks again for the reviews. :3 They excite me beyond all reason. No worries about previously not reviewing. x3 I'm glad you enjoyed! And as far as the government versus gouvernment thing goes - my English dictionary spells it with a u? I usually have to use it. The internet seems fond of what I was taught was an American spelling, but I've seen classmates go without and not get marked down back when I was in school. I don't know, it seems like it could really go either way.

Haruka-Chan 212 - Aw, thank you! And I'm glad to hear it. :3 I'm getting there, promise. Just… slowly. xD

azn91 - Thanks so much! I'm totally flattered. I understand what you're saying with the length, though at the same time I'm probably going to be sacrificing update speed for length if I go that route. In truth, there probably will be chapters of a more substantial length in the future, when I'm a bit more into the plot. :3

Tales of Finality - Aw, don't feel terrible, you're amazing for reviewing at all! :D Thank you! I understand that hardship, except it's my cell with me. Urk! And my, aren't you full of compliments? I'm really, really glad you're enjoying it so much. I hope this update doesn't disappoint!

metacog - Once again, thanks for your review. :3 You had the same thought about Fang and a hyper squirrel-type companion? =o Great minds do think alike!

Badboyzkg - Aw, thank you! I'm hoping you like the new update, though no Fang and Lightning meeting up just yet. I can't go delivering so soon, aye?

Thanks to everybody who takes the time to review, or even just hits the favourite or the alert button. I get a little email about it each time, and it fills me will indescribable glee to know that people are actually enjoying this story. :3 It definitely encourages me to keep writing, and so long as people are still interested, I'll move onwards!


	6. Chapter 5

So, um… oops.

Hopefully you haven't all forgotten about me by now. :c I mean, it's been a while. This is why we don't promise things, as it turns out. I'm sorry I took so long guys! Hopefully you'll be able to forgive me. :c

Chapter Five: Hatching

This really wasn't shaping up to be her day. She wondered idly why on Earth she'd even attempted to approach her shift with the slightest ounce of hope, particularly when she'd found some loon splashing about in the fountain. Some loon who later turned up in the shoe store and cost her a small fortune. And was currently staring so hard at the back of her head that she could've sworn she could feel it. The mirrors posted on the sides of the barber shoppe helped greatly when it came to analysing the current situation with this girl.

If the person who is the happiest to see you is bat shit insane, take a drink.

She had been meaning to march away. Lightning had no obligation to take care of this girl, and the amount of havoc she'd already begun to wreak did not bode well for her should she decide to take any measure of pity. It was a matter of playing the odds - was it going to suck less to bring her along, tell her what she needed to know in order to survive in Eden, and then send her on her way, or to ditch her now and most likely bump into her later? The choice seemed fairly obvious, but it was worth a second thought. The girl was thin, but she wouldn't have said skinny. On the contrary, her legs in particular seemed to boast a certain amount of muscle, most likely the sort gained from running. Her accent hinted that she certainly wasn't from the east side of the province, so it was more likely she was from the central or western regions. A village, then. All of the notable cities were located in the east. There was also the fact that she'd been trying to pay for things with plants, and had absolutely no idea what gil was. As far as worldliness or her physical prowess, the sergeant was more than certain she would have the edge.

It helped that there didn't seem to be anywhere on this girl that she could've been hiding any weapons. She slowed her pace, resisting the urge to rub at her face in exasperation as she turned her head just a touch. "Well, are you coming?"

There was no denying the excited squeak that sounded from behind her, and she pushed forth whilst stifling a groan. She chose instead to listen to her new companion's stomach gurgle as she walked forwards, remembering the noises it had been making a minute ago with shocking clarity.

"There's food ahead," she assured, knowing full-well she was going to have to pay. It was for the best - she didn't need another scene involving those foul-smelling herbs. She had half a mind to ask the girl just what those had been, anyway, but decided against it. The redhead was chatty enough without having legitimate reason to prattle on about something.

"Yes, coming! I'm right, er, right behind you! Sort of. Maybe a bit left?" She bit back the urge to state that it really did not matter to her either way. If she hadn't thought that it was going to be more trouble in the long run to leave her, she might have.

Something akin to a kick pushed at her chest, paining her as she dared to entertain the thought of leaving her behind again. _Do you really have so little mercy?_ It wasn't a matter of mercy. It was a matter of efficiency. It was a matter of not having to put up with the pointless chatter, the droning, the usual drudge of people.

If she had wanted that, Lightning mused to herself as she played the cynic, she would have stuck around Snow. Honestly, you tell him you miss someone and he takes that as a free invitation to bring the hugs and rainbows. She'd have to spend the next few days avoiding him, just to reassure the pompous ass that there wasn't a single thing between them that even resembled a friendship. She didn't need him, and she certainly didn't need to be taking care of another younger girl. Everyone could see how well that had played out last time.

If you realise you're your only friend, and you don't even like yourself all that much, take two.

"I… I wanted to thank you again. For the shoes, I mean!" There came that voice again. Annoying, just a touch too high-pitched for her tastes, and that same, strange accent. "I'm Vanille, by the way. In case you were wondering!" She heard the girl's new footwear click against the hard stone as she changed her pace to something that seemed almost like a skip, catching up to the sergeant and beaming at her. She hadn't been wondering about the girl's name. It was certainly not a relief to know it, either. Now she couldn't even _think_ about leaving her alone in the middle of Eden.

Shit.

"There's food at both of these places," she stated in response, motioning ahead of them with a gloved hand, her fingers free to do the pointing. Her partner seemed more interested in staring at her chipped nails than the direction they were pointing, so she made a better effort to motion ahead, nodding at each of the two buildings in turn. "It's burgers or buns today."

"What's a burger?" Lightning suppressed the urge to feel surprised. This was the girl she'd found frolicking in a fountain. This _was_ the brat who'd tried to pay for shoes with plants. Because, of course, she had no idea what gil was.

She pondered briefly how to explain a burger, before rolling her eyes. "Meat." There, that should suffice. Green eyes looked at her imploringly, urging a better definition. Eden be damned, they'd be standing there all day at this rate. Irked, she simply began to walk forwards, deciding for the girl. If she wanted to know what a burger was, she could see one first-hand, and then decide. It wasn't as though the two buildings were far apart - the sub shoppe was two places over. There was hardly a walk in the whole city that could be considered as simple as it would have been to leave the burger shack in favour of something a little more… healthy.

"Ah, no! Wait for me, please!" There was a furious clicking as the girl skip-ran to catch up with her, panting a little as she reached her side. "My, you certainly walk fast. And straight." It was military - you walked from point A to point B, taking the most effective course possible. In a place like Eden, 'most effective' was often 'straight'. In the wild, it was the path which offered the least resistance. "Oh… this place smells… strange."

She cast a look to the redhead now, resisting every urge to hand her four-hundred gil and asking the next stranger she saw to make sure she ate before loading her on a train. "Welcome to Burger Village, can I take your order?" She was slightly more appalled by this particular redhead's appearance than her partner's, though it was mostly due to his buck teeth and terrible acne. He breathed through his mouth, she noted, spying the way he sniffed as he stared at the pair of them. Allergies, most likely asthmatic. Inferior, easy target. The soldier in her declared it was safe enough to allow him near her young charge, motioning for Vanille to come up and order as she pointed to the menu.

"Um… I can't really read that. Eheh." Oh, for the love of… right. She had to do everything. Heaven forbid she ever forget that.

"It's a menu, shows different things you can order. There's a regular burger, small fries - "

"Ooh, how about that? It looks good!" Her eyes followed Vanille's finger, nearly choking as she spied the picture of a Behemoth Burger she was pointing at, complete with a dire shake and jumbo flan fries. She felt queasy just looking at it, having never been one for junk food or red meat, for that matter. And here her redheaded charge was, ordering… three of them from the boy behind the counter. He took a step back, seemingly examined Vanille, and gulped before staring at Lightning.

She reminded herself that she wasn't this girl's mother, but given that it would be her money involved, felt obligated to say _something_. "Maybe you should just try one," she suggested, hearing the girl's stomach growl loudly as if in perfectly-timed protest. The pout the other girl wore lead her to sigh, and slap down another twenty-seven gil, getting nothing here for herself. She hadn't been hungry to begin with, and with three Behemoth meals coming along, she was certain that wouldn't be changing.

It took three trays just to carry the burgers, and she made several trips to get the fries and shakes to Vanille as well. The redhead was eyeing it all with what was quite obviously unadulterated glee, clapping her hands excitedly before looking at Lightning. "Thank you!" was all she uttered before she picked up the first burger and began to devour it like it was nothing. The sounds of crunching lettuce, and of course that unmistakable stench of the meat itself wafting by was all that filled her senses for the next twelve minutes and twenty-seven seconds as she watched in a combination of horror and awe at this petite young woman, causing a scene as she ate three Behemoth burgers in record time, going after the fries and shakes with just as much vigour. When everything was said and done, there was a small crowd of people gathered, staring at the girl as if they expected her to explode. When she merely let out a tiny hiccough and finished the last sip of her third milkshake, they moved on with disappointed mumbles and sighs.

"Ah, that's a lot better!" she exclaimed, patting her still-flat stomach and grinning contentedly, stretching out in her seat. Lightning suppressed the urge to heave.

If you've just witnessed the most disgusting display of gluttony on the planet, take a drink.

"Oh, I'm sorry, had you wanted some?"

"Don't worry about it," she was quick (perhaps too quick) to reply, shuddering inwardly at the thought. After that display, she was certain she'd never be able to so much as hear the words 'Behemoth burger' again. Still, her young charge seemed pleased with it all, as appalling as it had been to watch. She was a bit stuck on what was supposed to happen now that's she'd appropriately fed the girl after buying her a pair of shoes. Vanille had taken care of her own hygiene earlier, mind you in a rather unorthodox fashion, and so it seemed like her basic needs were fulfilled. Mission accomplished - now why wasn't she going away?

Green eyes bore into hers for a moment. Lightning found herself trying avoid the impromptu staring contest, rolling her eyes towards the door with a bit off a huff to demonstrate her disinterest. They sat in silence like this for a few moments. She could only assume her troublesome companion was taking her time digesting her monstrous meal as they sat, though at the very least her stomach had stopped making those mournful sounds of protest.

"Hey, Lightning?" It was strange, but the girl actually seemed quiet… for a change. It piqued her interest, gaze falling back on the redhead as she fidgeted in her seat. "Just where is this place?"

"Burger Palace," she recited, knowing she shouldn't have been hoping for much from the girl's serious looks, but honestly underwhelmed by the question nonetheless. It wasn't until Vanille shook her head in response that she realized she might've been looking for something a little more… broad. "You mean the city?" A quick nod. She continued with a touch of scepticism, more unsure now of this girl's origins. She couldn't read, she had an accent, dressed rather strangely, had no concept of social norms, and now had absolutely no idea that she was in Eden - the capital of the world, as it were. "You're in Eden," she offered simply, standing and making for the door, sure the girl would follow her.

And indeed she did, humming a bit as she followed behind. "But I mean," she continued, eyes boring holes into Lightning's left shoulder, "Where is Eden?"

"Stop being ridiculous. Eden is the capital. You're in it, or more appropriately, its Square. The residential districts flank the north, south, and eastern perimeters. We'd call this a part of the shopping district."

Another puzzled face. "What's a district?"

"An area."

"Oh… how are these areas decided?"

She felt something in her temple throb, the beginnings of a bad migraine. She wasn't used to putting up with so many questions, and she certainly wasn't used to being responsible for someone other than herself or…

_Or Serah._

Vanille was staring at her expectantly, and it took all of her self-control to do what she did next, instead of telling her to shut up. She stood, and motioned for the door. The redhead seemed happy enough to follow, humming and folding her hands behind her back as she grinned and, with just the tip of her tongue tucked between her lips, skipped ahead of her free meal and shoes.

Sighing, Lightning followed. She needed a place to dump her. Any place would do, really. Just so long as she didn't need to sit and listen to these inane questions any longer. She was on-duty. She should have been focusing on that, not trying to help some lost little girl through the city. She could find her own way, in time.

And she knew just the person to show her the way.

* * *

Snow smirked around his cigar, feeling it twitch between his lips just slightly. It wasn't lit, but it added to the flair of the dark bar they had made their base. It helped that it was the one Lightning had been frequenting - he knew the majority of the staff by now, and they knew him well enough. Well enough to be considered friends, at any rate. They would serve the drinks until the Guardian got that bleary-eyed look, at which point in time he'd carry her out. Whether or not the mighty Lightning Farron chose to be peaceful seemed to depend on the night.

This was his life now, wasn't it? Carting her in and out of bars.

There was the familiar rattle of billiards as his pool cue darted forwards, striking the white ball with enough force to send it slamming into the seven. It ricocheted off the side of the table, and popped into the left-corner pocket. "Victory!" he exclaimed with a grin, his arms raising above his head as he heard his opponent groan. "Another round, Yuj?"

"You still need to get the eight ball yet, you moron," the younger man stated. Snow lined up his shot, pointed to the right-side pocket, and dumped it in. "Fine then, another round."

"Oh no you don't, I'm losing valuable money having you freeloaders playing that instead of paying customers. Go on, find something else to do!"

"That hurts so much, Lebreau! And here I thought we were becoming friends," Yuj mourned, moving on with a dramatic hand on his heart. Snow sniggered, trying not to buy his friend's theatrics as he shrugged at the scoffing barmaid, moving along to one of the tables nearby and allowing the pool table to sit open to anyone who might wander in at this unholy hour. Not that he was expecting anybody, much like how he was certain Lebreau wasn't. In the few days he'd known her, the blonde had found her to be a smart woman. Snappy, a tiny bit coy, and smart. She wouldn't hold her breath waiting for customers at four in the afternoon.

Likewise, however, he hadn't truly been expecting to see his not-quite-sister-in-law for at least another day, when her next shift was over. Her mere presence brought silence across the bar, Yuj blinking and glancing over his shoulder before staring at Snow as if to say 'it's up to you'. He proceeded to join in Gadot and Maqui's card game, taking a seat and not bothering to hold one for Snow, the blonde noted.

Did they really think it'd take that long? They obviously didn't know Lightning.

"Here," she stated, and he was shocked to find her moving to the side to produce another, younger girl, flinging her at him. She squeaked, running face-first into his chest and grinned up at him sheepishly, tapping her index fingers together. "Take care of this." And, as promised, Lightning did not stay long. The Guardian turned on her heel and exited, and that was that. Leaving him with… someone. Someone who had a tiny bit of ketchup on her upper lip.

"Uh, hey. I'm Snow."

"I'm Vanille! It's very nice to meet you, Snow! Um… do you happen to know where Lightning's going, though? I wanted to ask her something." He chuckled, crossing his arms behind his head as he moved away from her just slightly, taking a seat at the table with his friends and motioning for her to do the same.

"Not a single clue, Vanille - but hey, she'll be back sometime later. For now, how about you sit and play some cards?"

"Oh, sure! Um… how do you play cards?"

Yuj stared, and it took everything he had in him to not to burst into a fit of laughter as he sidled over to the redhead, took her hand, and placed the fingers of his free hand on his puffed out chest. "I will show you, madame! Take a seat, and I'll teach you everything you need to know about card games."

"Except Yuj sucks at cards."

"Aw, not true, Gadot! Your words hurt."

The dark bar in Eden, in spite of the early hour, lit up with raucous laughter and charming giggles. In that moment, everything seemed perfect, Snow noted wistfully, watching as his friends fought over the new girl and she avidly took to everything they were trying to teach her, never short on questions.

* * *

Lights blinked across the map. He reclined, fingers tenting thoughtfully as several screens showed various decimated cities, towns, villages.

"Sir, our next move?"

He stared on, thinking over the woman's question. His jaw clicked once, thoughtfully, before he brought a hand down upon the brightest blinking light of them all, directly in the centre. "You're certain?"

"I think it's time we gave the people something to think about. Besides - it's nearly perfect. They've all been gathering in the past few days, minus a few. With everything in place, we can begin. I have no reservations in regards to what we're doing. Do you?"

"Certainly not."

"Good." His finger pressed against the light, feeling something collapse as a hiss sounded through the dark room for a moment. "Set all monitors to Eden for me, would you Jihl? I want to watch everything."

"Of course, sir."

The scene was set for the true beginning of the end, and he had front row seats. Life could be such a joy sometimes.

* * *

Badboyzkg - Ahaha, thanks. :3 Here's the next chapter for you, sorry it took so long.

Laura25 - 41st, but who's counting? xD I hope your life wasn't too boring in the time it took me to update this time around. :c

TickleMyOrchidBlue - Thanks! I'm glad you've been enjoying this so far, hopefully the new chapter doesn't disappoint.

Tuume - Thank you. :3 Your reviews are always so insightful, I love it. It goes to show that the things I'm trying to portray, at least are coming across to someone. :3 Makes me quite happy indeed!

Haruka-Chan 212 - Thank you. :3 Um, hopefully no injuries for taking so long… :c

Tales of Finality - Thank you! Ahaha, I'm glad I could make you like Vanille. x3 Honestly, I absolutely adore her character. Here's some more for you! Still no Fang and Lightning meeting yet, though. x3

SunflowerWielder - Vanille does live! See? Now you don't need to hurt me. :D; Eheh… heh… hem, yes. Did you enjoy Mouthwash, incidentally? And my, fanfiction's really dropping the ball about those updates for you, aren't they? :c Tragic. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you enjoyed the last one.

metacog - Thank you! Indeed, I tried to redeem Light a bit for having her waltz back afterwards. :3 Sorry for taking so long. D: I know I keep apologizing to people for this, but I really am. I hope you're still going to enjoy.

Gnak - Well, there's the obvious pairing of Snow and Serah, though with Serah out of the picture, it's really just Snow and his memories. Fang and Lightning is the intended primary pairing.

alike - Thank you! :3 I'm really glad you enjoyed!

jaybear1701 - Thanks so much! :3 As for finding Serah, I suppose we'll see, eh? Light learning to live again will definitely be an interesting journey. :3 Hopefully, anyway. xD

Oerba Yun Fang - Thanks! xD I'm glad you saw humour in that. And really now? Only sated? Not, you know, full beyond all measure?

Pyrobee - Yes, this is femmeslash. Eventually. :3 I like to have a good buildup, the characters pretty well-developed, and actual interaction before just hopping onto the romance train, so to be honest, you probably won't see any of that for another few chapters yet. I hope you can hold on! :3

To all my reviewers, I just wanted to say thank you. I'm sorry for taking so long! I really do enjoy writing this, and there was a combination of things that slowed it down. But hey, I'm not one to make excuses. I hope you'll all continue to read, enjoy, and review in spite of the less-than-speedy update.


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